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Early-Career Researchers

The RWTH Center for Young Academics is the umbrella organization for all activities promoting early-career researchers from doctoral studies to the postdoc phase to qualification periods for future professorial appointments. Photo: Thilo Vogel

Early-career researchers progress through different qualification phases after their doctoral studies. However, the decision to work in industry or pursue an academic career is often made late in the process. The University has created ideal framework conditions for career development and presents its researchers with transparent career paths both at and outside of the University early on. Photo: Thilo Vogel

Target Groups

You've finished your Master's and your future is wide open: Those who want to research after their studies traditionally pursue a doctoral degree. Doctoral studies at RWTH Aachen are the first phase of professional practice and are thus application-oriented. Photo: Thilo Vogel

Postdocs are researchers in the first few years after doctoral studies who are expanding their academic profile through independent research work. Their career objectives are in science or science-related fields. Photo: Thilo Vogel

Advanced Talents are postdocs in the qualification period for future professorial appointments. At RWTH Aachen they include junior research group leaders, postdocs with awards and fellowships, and junior professors both with or without a tenure-track appointment. Our objective is to optimally support these advanced talents on their path to a permanent appointment. Photo: Andreas Schmitter

Researchers appointed to tenure track positions may advance their career through the tenure track process and, upon successful evaluation, be appointed to a permanent position as a full professor. Photo: Sascha Kreklau

Within the framework of RWTH Aachen's Institutional Strategy, junior researchers founded the Aachen Center for Young Researchers, AixCYR for short, in 2009. Academic staff members pursuing an academic career, principally ones who have already completed a doctoral degree at RWTH Aachen, come together in AixCYR. Photo: Thilo Vogel